White Lake business suffers extensive damage in Tuesday night fire

Lakeview Automotive, located in a 1940s building, was severely damaged in the blaze.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fire broke out at Lakeview Automotive, a business in White Lake Township, Michigan, on Tuesday night, causing extensive damage to the approximately 80-year-old building. No injuries were reported, but the fire required mutual aid from several neighboring fire departments to extinguish. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the blaze.

Why it matters

Fires can have a devastating impact on small businesses, causing significant property damage and disrupting operations. This incident highlights the challenges that older buildings can pose for firefighters, as well as the importance of mutual aid agreements between neighboring fire departments.

The details

According to Fire Chief J. David Feichtner, firefighters arrived on the scene around 10:20 p.m. after the fire was reported by the business owner and others driving by. The owner was present when the fire broke out and remained on the scene until firefighters wrapped up around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday. While the 2,500-3,000 square foot building was 'severely damaged,' it's not yet known if it was a total loss. The building's age and renovations over the years posed additional challenges for firefighters, particularly in dealing with hot spots that developed in the roof spaces. Cold weather and icy conditions also added to the difficulties.

  • The fire was reported around 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.
  • Firefighters were on the scene until approximately 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5, 2026.

The players

J. David Feichtner

The fire chief of the White Lake Township Fire Department.

Lakeview Automotive

The business that suffered extensive damage in the fire, located in a 1940s building on Highland Road in White Lake Township.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Thank you to our mutual aid partners responsible for helping to put (the fire) outt, All of the crews did a great job…we got the fire out, there were no injuries and that's a victory. But any incident like this is terrible, and we certainly feel for the owner. The best outcome was nobody was hurt — but it is a tragedy, nonetheless.”

— J. David Feichtner, Fire Chief

What’s next

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire at Lakeview Automotive.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the challenges that older buildings and extreme weather conditions can pose for firefighters, as well as the importance of mutual aid agreements between neighboring fire departments in responding to and extinguishing large-scale fires. The community will need to support the business owner as they work to recover from the extensive damage.